Skaneateles hockey blanks Cazenovia

Having the lead in Division II is nice, but the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team knows that keeping it will require bigger efforts ahead. Skaneateles moved back into first place in with a 3-0 win over Cazenovia on Tuesday night at Allyn Arena.

Skaneateles improved to 10-1-1 in league play (13-1-2 overall). Second-place Oswego, who beat Clinton 4-2 on Monday night, is 9-1-1 in the league. Skaneateles hosts the Buccaneers in a big showdown Friday at 7 p.m.

As for the game against their fellow Lakers, Skaneateles got single goals from Tom Bronk, Owen Kuhns, and Taylor Haberstock, and 19 saves from Ethan Kupp. It was Kupp’s eighth shutout this season.

“We didn’t get scored on (and) that’s a great sign for us,” Skaneateles coach Mitch Major said. “I thought our defense was great tonight. Caz always comes down the boards hard. Our defense was finding the correct option. They were playing hard.”

Bronk scored the game winner 4:54 into the first period. The senior wing got loose near the face-off circle and sent a high wrist shot that slipped through the pads of Cazenovia goalie Mario Benedetti.

Skaneateles took total control less than five minutes into the second period. Kuhns made it 2-0 on the power play when he one timed a Mitchell Jones pass home at 57 seconds. Haberstock tripled the hosts lead at the 4:29 mark,completing a long 2-on-1 rush with linemate Kuhns.

Cazenovia (4-8-3 overall, 3-5-3 Division II) held a territorial edge the rest of the second period, but couldn’t solve Kupp. Neither team generated much offense in a free flowing third that only saw pair of coincidental minor penalties called.

Cazenovia coach Jon Davignon came away impressed with Skaneateles. “They’re the best team we’ve played thus far,” Davignon said. “I think it’s going to be hard to beat them.”

Only one team has solved Skaneateles so far in league play, and that’s Oswego. The Bucs outplayed the Lakers, 5-3, on Dec. 14 at Crisafulli Rink.

Major is expecting a big crowd at the Skaneateles Community Center on Friday. He said the team’s booster club is promoting the game heavily.

As for what happens on the ice Friday, Major said the scoreboard won’t tell the whole story.

“Our focus is on us right now,” Major said. “If we come out and play our game and focus on playing the best that we can, we’re not going to worry about the winning. We think that will take care of itself. We just need to come out and do our thing.”